Why is Jim Nantz not calling March Madness games?

There are many great announcers in sports history who get associated with a notable sporting event. While many consider John Madden one of the voices of the Super Bowl and Keith Jackson was a staple of the Rose Bowl for a long time, CBS' Jim Nantz has become synonymous with March Madness.

Nantz became CBS's lead announcer for March Madness and the Final Four in 1990, working alongside analysts like Billy Packer, Clark Kellogg, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill. Recent Capital One ads for March Madness have utilized Nantz alongside Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee to promote the credit card company's sponsorship of the tournament, showing how tied to the sport he is.

In recent years, Nantz's commitments to cover the NFL and golf have limited his appearances with college basketball, leaving him unavailable to call games until right before the end of the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament. Selection Sunday will be a bit different this year, however, as Nantz will no longer be a part of the network's March Madness coverage.

Why isn't Jim Nantz calling March Madness games?

Prior to last year's NCAA Tournament, Nantz announced his intentions to step away from college basketball coverage in order to spend more time with his family when he isn't calling golf or the NFL. The fact that the Final Four was in Houston, Nantz's hometown, and was going to be broadcast on CBS offered him the perfect opportunity to go out on a high note.

Who is replacing Jim Nantz during March Madness for CBS?

College basketball fans are in good hands as Nantz will be succeeded by Ian Eagle, who has been a long-time staple of CBS' college basketball coverage and has helped the network cover the NCAA Tournament since 1998. Eagle has been calling regional finals for a long time and is now being elevated to the top team at age 53, giving one of the nation's best broadcasters a championship to call his own.

Nantz or not, March Madness is always electric and you can make it even more thrilling with a chance to win big at FanDuel. Just deposit $10 or more and then bet $5 or more on ANY team to win this week. If your team wins, you'll get $200 in bonus bets! Sign up for FanDuel with this link today!